Controlled Collapse Chip Connection (C4) is an advanced interconnect technology for microelectronic chip packaging. C4 is also known as "flip chip," "solder bump" and "solder balls."
The basic idea of C4 is to connect chips, chip packages or other such units by means of solder bumps partially collapsed between the surfaces of two units. Each unit has a pad pattern which corresponds to a mirror image pattern of the other. The bumps of electrically conductive solder bridge the gap between respective pairs of metal pads on the units being connected. As the units are brought together, the solder bumps on the pads of the first unit are pressed against the corresponding conductive pads on the second unit, resulting in the partial collapse of the solder bump and formation of an interconnect between respective pads. This allows for the simultaneous formation of all interconnects between the units in a single step, in spite of slight variations in the surfaces of the units being joined.
In C4, the solder bumps are formed directly on the metal pads of one unit. The pads are electrically isolated from each other and other components by the insulating substrate that surrounds each pad. The substrate may be un-doped silicon or some other material. The bottom of each pad is in contact with a via, forming electrical continuity with the chip circuitry.
A major application of C4 is in joining semiconductor integrated circuit chips to chip packages. Integrated circuits are fabricated from semiconductor wafers in an array of repeat patterns, then diced into individual chips in order to minimize the processing cost per chip. Once separated into individual units, the chips are then assembled into packages large enough to handle. C4 bumps are placed on the chips prior to dicing, incorporating the benefits of wafer scale processing.
Chip sizes are continually shrinking, while circuit densities and I/O counts continue to increase, in order to enhance performance and reduce costs. These trends place higher demands on interconnects, making traditional bonding methods such as wire bonding and tape automated bonding (TAB) very difficult. C4 allows for very high density I/O with area array distribution as compared to peripheral contacts in TAB and wire bonding.
C4 solder bumps serve two functions; first, they act as electrical interconnects and second, they act to form a physical bond between the semiconductor chip and package. This demands a very precise placement of each C4 as well as uniform control of solder volumes.
One method of forming solder bumps is by vacuum deposition. A specially made mask with high precision vias is placed over the wafer for locating the solder bumps. The entire assembly is then placed into a vacuum chamber where solder is evaporated through the mask to form solder bumps on the wafer. This deposition process is non-selective, thereby solder deposits throughout the chamber as well as on the mask. During deposition, the wafer and mask are heated, therefore careful selection of mask material to match the coefficient of thermal (CTE) expansion of the wafer is needed. However, for this reason, the evaporation technique has limited extendibility to larger wafers.
An alternative technique for making solder bumps is electrodeposition, also called electrochemical plating or electroplating. This method also uses a mask to form solder bumps only at selected sites, but is vastly different than the evaporation technique.
Electrodeposition of solder bumps requires a continuous electrically conductive "seed layer" 14 adhered to the insulating substrate. The seed layer 14 function is to carry current necessary for electroplating the solder. FIG. 1A, labeled "prior art," shows a wafer substrate 10 whose surface is overlaid with a conductive layer 11 of either chromium (Cr) or a titanium tungsten alloy (Ti--W). Metal layer 11 will function as part of the seed layer for electrodepositing solder bumps. On top of layer 11 is deposited a thin "phased" layer 12 of 50% chromium and 50% copper (Cr--Cu). Finally, a third layer 13 of pure copper is deposited over the entire wafer surface. The Cr or Ti--W, Cr--Cu and Cu layers are of comparable thickness. Once seed layer 14 is deposited, the wafer is coated with photoresist, patterned and then exposed. The unexposed regions can then be developed or dissolved away to leave behind the cured photoresist as a mask 16 shown in FIG. 1A. Photoresist mask 16 forms the desired pattern of holes or vias across the wafer.
The next step is the electrodeposition of solder into the vias of the mask 16. All vias are filled simultaneously with the desired volume of solder during the deposition process. An electroplated solder bump 18 is shown in FIG. 1A. Once the solder bumps 18 are formed, photoresist mask 16 is removed leaving behind the solder bumps 18 and the continuous seed layer 14.
In order to electrically isolate solder bumps 18, it is necessary to remove the seed layer 14 between solder bumps 18. This is accomplished by etching away layers 11-13 with chemical or electrolytic action, in either case the solder bump 18 protects the layers 11-13 under it. FIG. 1B shows the seed layers 11-13 removed to leave the solder bumps electrically isolated but mechanically fixed to substrate 10. U.S. Pat. No. 5,486,282 (which is incorporated herein by reference) discloses an invention related to the selective removal of Cu and phased Cr--Cu by electroetching. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,462,638 and 5,800,726 (which are incorporated herein by reference) disclose inventions related to the removal of a Ti--W alloy layer by chemical etching. FIG. 1C shows solder ball 18', formed by melting or reflowing the solder bump 18 of FIGS. 1A-1B. At this stage the solder ball is ready for joining.
Solder alloys used in C4 interconnects generally consist of lead (Pb) and tin (Sn). One characteristic used to select the solder alloy is the melting temperature. Conventionally chips were joined to multi-layer ceramic (MLC) substrates which could withstand temperatures greater than 350.degree. C. However, there is a growing need to attach chips to organic packages, as well as direct chip attach (DCA) to organic boards such as FR4 boards, which can generally only withstand temperatures less than 300.degree. C. A Pb--Sn alloy used for the high temperature application may contain 97% Pb and 3% Sn by weight which melts at 353.degree. C., and for the low temperature application may contain 37% Pb and 63% Sn by weight (eutectic PbSn) which melts at 183.degree. C.
During the reflow of solder bump 18 to form solder ball 18', Sn present in the solder reacts with the upper most Cu region of the third layer 13 of Cu, to form an intermetallic (Cu.sub.x, Sn.sub.y,) where x is 6 and y is 5 or where x is 3 and y is 1. This intermetallic layer forms a strong bond between the solder ball 18' and the third layer 13 of Cu. In the high temperature application, with minimal Sn present (3 Wt. %), the degree of intermetallic formation is self limiting. However, in the low temperature application, with eutectic PbSn solder (63 Wt. % Sn), the excessive amount of Sn can react with and consume the underlying third layer 13 of Cu, degrading the solder-seed layer interface.
One method of forming a low temperature C4 structure is by capping a high temperature C4 bump with low temperature eutectic Pb--Sn solder, such as described in U.S. Ser. No. 08/710,992 filed Sep. 25, 1996 by Berger et al. entitled "Method for Making Interconnect for Low Temperature Chip Attachment" now U.S. Pat. No. 6,127,735 which issued Oct. 3, 2000 and assigned to assignee herein which is incorporated herein by reference. However, this method does not address the issue of low temperature solder wicking down around the high temperature C4 structure and attacking seed layer 14 from the side or exposed edge.